Best Naked Bikes in the UK for 2026
Britain registered 417 Triumph Trident 800s in the first six months of 2026. The bike didn't reach dealers until March, and over the same six months DVLA recorded 329 of the Trident 660, the bike that led everything in this guide on 2025 registrations with 762.
So riders are already paying £1,400 more for the bigger engine. The Trident 800 is £9,195 on the road with 113bhp; the Trident 660 is £7,795 on the road with 93.9bhp. Both come with the four rider aids that matter most on a naked bike, traction control, cornering ABS, a two-way quickshifter and cruise control, as standard, which means the extra money is mostly buying engine.
Registrations tell you what people bought, though, not what they should have bought. The 800 is too new to have an MOT history, and whether its extra 19.1bhp is worth £1,400 is one of the things this ranking has to settle.
It covers the full-licence naked bikes most riders compare, from £7,408 to £10,100 on the road. Smaller A2 and 125cc nakeds are in our beginner guide. The order rests on what each bike gives you for what it costs on the road: power for its weight, how many of those four rider aids come fitted to the base model, how each model line has done at its MOT, and how long the factory warranty runs. Power-to-weight below is horsepower per tonne of bike with fuel in it. Across every 600 to 1,000cc bike first registered from 2019 to 2022, DVSA's records show a 92.2% first-time MOT pass rate in 2024 and 2025, and each model's pass rate below covers its bikes from the year given in its entry.
7. Yamaha MT-07: the lightest bike here, and the least equipped
At 184kg with a full tank, the MT-07 is the lightest bike in this ranking, and at £7,408 on the road for the manual bike it's also the cheapest. Yamaha rebuilt it for 2025 around the same 690cc twin. The update brought a stiffer frame and swingarm, upside-down forks, radial brakes and ride-by-wire, which is what makes riding modes and traction control possible. Our own road test of the MT-07 Y-AMT, the version with an automated clutch, found the firmer suspension and radial brakes had cured the old bike's soft front end, though the ride gets jarring over potholes at low speed and the front feels vague at motorway pace.
The catch is the rest of the equipment, and the engine. At 72.4bhp it makes the least power here, and traction control is the only one of the four rider aids it carries as standard: there's no cornering ABS, the quickshifter is an extra, and cruise control only comes on the £7,858 Y-AMT with its automated clutch. Honda's CB750 Hornet, one place up, makes 90.5bhp for £141 more. DVSA's records show MT-07s first registered from 2021 passed 90.3% of their MOTs first time across 1,977 tests, below the 92.2% benchmark, and that's the previous generation rather than this one.
Yamaha's three-year warranty is the longest standard cover in this guide, shared only with the MT-09 and the BMW. Buy the MT-07 if low weight and that warranty matter more to you than pull, and expect motorway vibration through the bars to numb your hands on a cold, wet ride.
6. Honda CB750 Hornet: the cheapest route past 90bhp
The Hornet gives you 90.5bhp for £7,549 on the road, and for 2026 that price includes Honda's E-Clutch, which handles the clutch for you when pulling away, stopping and changing gear. Honda UK now lists only the E-Clutch bike; dealers still selling 2025 manual-clutch stock price it at £7,449 on the road.
Our own CB750 Hornet road test found strong pull low down and through the mid-range, an E-Clutch that makes stop-start town riding easier and blips the throttle smoothly on downshifts into a corner, and quick, easy direction changes. Against that, the front brake felt slightly numb when ridden hard, and there's little wind protection.
Traction control is the only one of the four rider aids that comes as standard. The ABS isn't lean-sensitive, there's no cruise control, and a quickshifter is an option on the manual bike. Honda's warranty runs for two years with no mileage limit and can be renewed a year at a time, up to six years, if the bike is serviced on schedule at a Honda dealer. The Hornet is too new for DVSA's records to say much yet, but Britain registered 571 of them in 2025, so a used market and parts supply aren't in doubt. No other bike here gets past 90bhp for less money. It sits below the BMW, which costs £1,571 more on the road and adds power, lean-sensitive ABS, a longer warranty and a strong MOT record for it.
5. BMW F 900 R: the best MOT record here, with the extras costing extra
No bike in this guide has a better record at the MOT station. F 900 Rs first registered from 2020 passed 95.8% of their 687 MOT tests first time in 2024 and 2025, 3.6 points above the benchmark, and BMW Motorrad UK backs every new bike with three years' cover and no mileage limit.
The 2025 update gave it a fully adjustable fork, lighter wheels and cornering ABS and traction control as standard, and kept the same 895cc twin, which makes 103.3bhp. That twin pulls hard through most of the rev range with an accurate throttle, but it doesn't have the top-end rush of the triples further up this list. The new fork is sharp and supportive, and the firm set-up can feel harsh on broken UK tarmac.
BMW lists the base bike from £9,090, and the on-the-road price at one dealer is £9,120. The quickshifter sits in the £830 Dynamic pack and cruise control in the £585 Comfort pack, which also brings keyless ignition and heated grips, so an F 900 R with all four rider aids costs £1,415 more than the base bike. Against the Hornet below it, the base bike costs £1,571 more on the road and gives you 12.8bhp more, lean-sensitive ABS, a warranty a year longer and the best MOT record here. Against the Z900 above it, it has fewer rider aids and less power for £259 less. If you'd rather pay for reliability on record than for extra power, it's the one to look at.
4. Kawasaki Z900: the most power here, carrying the most weight
At 122bhp the Z900 is the most powerful bike in this guide, and Kawasaki's 2025 update put everything on it: cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control, a two-way quickshifter, cruise control and a 5in colour screen with navigation through the Rideology app. Kawasaki lists it at £9,199 before on-the-road costs, and two dealers quote £9,379 and £9,424 once those are added.
At 213kg it's also the heaviest bike here. All that weight pulls its power-to-weight back to level with the Trident 800's. The four-cylinder engine is smooth with a strong mid-range, but it lacks punch at the very bottom of the rev range and the full-power mode is snatchy. The ride is firm over rough roads and the suspension runs out of support when the bike is ridden hard; the standard Z900's radial calipers stop it well (the £11,349 SE gets Brembos), though the initial bite is weak and the ABS cuts in early under heavy braking. The electronics are smooth and stay out of the way, and the quickshifter is precise, though it only shifts down with the throttle closed.
Kawasaki's standard warranty is two years. Its current offer, with no end date given, adds two more on new bikes bought from an authorised dealer, but this ranking counts the standard cover because the offer can end. The Trident 800 almost exactly matches the Z900's power-to-weight, weighs 15kg less and costs £184 less on the road, which is why the Kawasaki sits below it.
3. Triumph Trident 800: nearly MT-09 pace for £905 less
The Trident 800 is all new for 2026: Triumph took the 798cc triple from the Tiger Sport 800 and put it in a chassis developed from the Trident 660. It makes 113bhp and weighs 198kg, and all four rider aids are standard. It's £9,195 on the road in Jet Black, with the other two colours £150 more, and one dealer already has one reduced to £8,749.
The triple is smooth and torquey, pulls from very low revs and is much crisper than the 660's. Sport mode makes the throttle snatchy at low speed, so Road mode suits most riding. The suspension is soft as it comes, and riders who weigh more than average need to add rear preload to stop it running wide in corners; set up, it's stable, agile and copes well with poor roads. The brakes have plenty of power, but the initial feel at the lever is vague, and the wind blast gets tiring at motorway speeds. Services fall every 10,000 miles or 12 months, with the valve clearances checked every 20,000 miles.
Its 417 registrations in the first half of 2026 show riders are buying it, but it has no MOT history yet. That's what keeps it below the MT-09: for £905 more, the Yamaha has 37bhp per tonne more, a warranty a year longer and an MOT record behind it.
2. Yamaha MT-09: the quickest bike here, and the dearest
With 117.3bhp from its 890cc triple and 193kg to carry, the MT-09 has the best power-to-weight in this guide. The 2024 update moved the riding position, added a radial Brembo master cylinder and a 5in colour screen, and made cruise control and a two-way quickshifter standard alongside cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction, slide and wheelie control.
Our own MT-09 road test found loads of torque, strong pull even in the higher gears and a sharper, more planted chassis than earlier MT-09s, though the suspension can feel soft when it's pushed hard. Comfort is fine for commuting and weekend rides but limited for touring. The standard seat gets uncomfortable over a 120-mile ride, there's a little head-shake left in the steering, and real-world economy around 43mpg makes the range from the 14-litre tank feel short.
MT-09s first registered from 2021 passed 91.5% of 2,183 MOT tests first time, 0.7 points under the benchmark, and Yamaha's three-year warranty is the longest standard cover here. It costs £10,100 on the road, though new 2026 bikes are advertised from £9,002 at one dealer, and services come round every 6,000 miles against 10,000 for the Triumphs. It's £2,305 more than the Trident 660 for 23.4bhp more and a year's longer warranty, and whether that's worth paying is what separates first from second.
1. Triumph Trident 660: the full set of rider aids for under £8,000
Triumph's 2026 update lifted the Trident 660 from 81PS to 95PS, or 93.9bhp, with three throttle bodies and a revised head, cams and airbox, and fitted the same four rider aids the MT-09 carries: cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control, a two-way quickshifter and cruise control, plus phone connectivity. It's £7,795 on the road, which puts all of that below £8,000, and one dealer has a new one reduced to £7,445.
The engine revs harder and higher than the old 81PS bike and responds more smoothly to the throttle, though the extra top end is hard to use on the road. The non-adjustable fork is plush and composed at normal pace and goes soft when pushed hard, bottoming out under heavy braking, and the two-piston sliding calipers are smooth and predictable but need a hard pull to slow the more powerful bike when it's ridden briskly. The riding position is roomy and upright with wider bars, and the narrow tank helps shorter riders get their feet down; riders over six feet may feel cramped.
Tridents first registered from 2021, which are the earlier 81PS bikes, passed 91.4% of 3,022 MOT tests first time, 0.8 points under the benchmark. Services fall every 10,000 miles or 12 months, and Triumph's warranty runs two years with no mileage limit. Britain registered 762 of them in 2025, more than any other bike in this guide.
It gives up a fifth of the MT-09's power-to-weight and a year of warranty, and the brakes and fork are where the low price shows. It has all four rider aids for £2,305 less than the MT-09. Its services also come 4,000 miles further apart than the Yamaha's. For what the money buys, no bike here beats it.
Before you buy
Once you've settled on a bike, the next thing is what fits it.
Find the parts that fit your bike
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Which naked bike suits which rider?
| Bike | Suits | Pick it for | Think twice if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triumph Trident 660 | Riders who want every rider aid on a budget | All four rider aids as standard | You ride hard enough to find the limits of the brakes and fork |
| Yamaha MT-09 | Riders who want the most performance | 608bhp per tonne, the most here | You do long days in the saddle |
| Triumph Trident 800 | Riders who want triple pace for less than an MT-09 | 113bhp and all four rider aids | You want a model with an MOT record behind it |
| Kawasaki Z900 | Riders who want the biggest power figure | 122bhp with all four rider aids | You want the lightest bike for the money |
| BMW F 900 R | Riders who put reliability first | 95.8% first-time MOT pass rate | You want the quickshifter and cruise without paying for packs |
| Honda CB750 Hornet | Riders who want strong pull on a tight budget | 90.5bhp and an E-Clutch | You want lean-sensitive ABS or cruise control |
| Yamaha MT-07 | Riders who want the lightest bike and a long warranty | 184kg and three years' cover | You want more than 72.4bhp |
Naked bike specifications compared
| Bike | Price | Power | Weight (fuelled) | Seat height | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triumph Trident 660 | £7,795 OTR | 93.9bhp | 195kg | 810mm | 2 years |
| Yamaha MT-09 | £10,100 OTR | 117.3bhp | 193kg | 825mm | 3 years |
| Triumph Trident 800 | £9,195 OTR | 113bhp | 198kg | 810mm | 2 years |
| Kawasaki Z900 | £9,379 OTR | 122bhp | 213kg | 830mm | 2 years |
| BMW F 900 R | £9,120 OTR | 103.3bhp | 208kg | 815mm | 3 years |
| Honda CB750 Hornet | £7,549 OTR | 90.5bhp | 196kg | 795mm | 2 years |
| Yamaha MT-07 | £7,408 OTR | 72.4bhp | 184kg | 805mm | 3 years |
The Yamaha MT-07 is the lightest bike here at 184kg. The Kawasaki Z900 is the heaviest at 213kg. The Z900 has the tallest seat at 830mm and the Hornet the lowest at 795mm, so the Hornet is the one to sit on first if you're short in the leg.
What a naked bike leaves out
None of these seven has a fairing, and that's the trade the class makes: an upright seat and a simple, light bike, with the wind on your chest at motorway speeds. The wind blast on the Trident 800 gets tiring on a long motorway run, and the F 900 R is comfortable for three or four hours but offers no shelter on longer days.
If a lot of your riding is on the motorway, a screen is worth a look. We stock screens for six of the seven bikes in this guide.
Verdict
The Triumph Trident 660 wins because, at £7,795, the 2026 update gave it the same four rider aids as the MT-09 and four-fifths of the Yamaha's power-to-weight. Its services also come round 4,000 miles further apart than the MT-09's. The Yamaha MT-09 is the pick if outright pace matters more to you than £2,305: it's the quickest bike here, and Yamaha's three-year warranty is a year longer than Triumph's.
Key takeaways
- The Triumph Trident 660 has cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, a two-way quickshifter and cruise control as standard at £7,795.
- The Yamaha MT-09 has the best power-to-weight here at 608bhp per tonne, for £10,100 on the road.
- The new Triumph Trident 800 out-registered the Trident 660 in the first half of 2026, 417 to 329.
- The BMW F 900 R has the best MOT record in this guide, a 95.8% first-time pass rate.
- Yamaha and BMW give three years' warranty as standard; Triumph, Honda and Kawasaki give two.
Common questions
A naked motorcycle, or naked bike, is a road motorcycle with no fairing, an upright riding position and the engine on show. Naked bikes such as the Triumph Trident 660 and Yamaha MT-09 put the engine in a simple chassis without bodywork around it, which keeps the weight down and leaves the rider out in the wind.
A naked bike sits you upright with wide bars and no fairing, while a sport bike puts you low behind a full fairing, built for speed on fast roads and track days. Riding position is the difference you notice first: a naked bike like the Triumph Trident 660 puts less weight on your wrists in town.
The Triumph Trident 660 is the best middleweight naked bike for most riders in 2026, with 93.9bhp, cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, a two-way quickshifter and cruise control as standard at £7,795. The Yamaha MT-09 is quicker, with 117.3bhp, and costs £10,100 on the road.
The Kawasaki Z900 is the most powerful naked bike in this guide at 122bhp, but the Yamaha MT-09 pulls hardest because it weighs 20kg less, giving it 608bhp per tonne against the Kawasaki's 573. Manufacturers don't publish measured top speeds for most of these bikes.
The BMW F 900 R is the most comfortable naked bike in this guide over distance: its firm but well-shaped seat is fine for three to four hours, with little vibration. The Triumph Trident 660 has a roomy, upright position with wide bars, while the Yamaha MT-09's standard seat gets uncomfortable over a 120-mile ride.
The best street bikes for a full-licence rider in 2026 are the Triumph Trident 660, at £7,795 with all four rider aids, and the Yamaha MT-09, which has 608bhp per tonne.
The Triumph Trident 800 is the all-new naked bike for 2026, with 113bhp at £9,195 on the road. The Trident 660 was updated to 95PS with a full set of rider aids, and the Honda CB750 Hornet gained the E-Clutch as standard on the bikes Honda UK lists.
The Triumph Trident 660, Honda CB750 Hornet and BMW F 900 R can all be restricted to the 35kW A2 limit with an official kit or version in the UK. The Triumph Trident 800 isn't on Triumph's A2 list, and smaller A2 nakeds are covered in our beginner guide.
The best naked bikes for beginners are the lighter, cheaper ones with forgiving power. The Yamaha MT-07 is the lightest bike in this guide at 184kg. The Honda CB750 Hornet has the lowest seat at 795mm and can be restricted for an A2 licence. For smaller bikes built around a restricted licence, start with our beginner guide.
Moto Planet picks
Kit that fits the bikes in this guide.
- Screens: fits six of the seven here
- Luggage and racks: racks and tank bag kits for six of the seven
- Crash protection: sliders, bungs and guards for all seven
About these figures
Prices are on the road and were checked in October 2026 against manufacturer listings and UK dealers. Kawasaki lists the Z900 at £9,199 before on-the-road costs, so its figure is the lower of two dealer quotes, and the BMW figure is a dealer's on-the-road price for the base bike. Power and weight are manufacturer figures, with weight given fuelled and power in bhp converted from the kilowatt figure where a maker quotes PS. Power-to-weight is our calculation from those two figures. Registration figures are DVLA new registrations for Great Britain. MOT pass rates are from DVSA's MOT records for tests in 2024 and 2025, counting a pass with no failure and no repair at the test station, for each model line from the year given in its entry.